Niger junta instructs police to expel French envoy

The junta that seized power in Niger last month said in a statement that the French ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, no longer had diplomatic immunity and police had been instructed to expel him.

The visas of the ambassador and his family were canceled, the junta said in a statement dated August 29 and confirmed as authentic by the junta’s head of communications.

 In response to actions taken by the French government that it deemed "contrary to the interests of Niger," the junta ordered the ambassador to depart the country within 48 hours.

However, the ambassador did not comply with this summons and declined to meet with junta representatives at the country’s foreign ministry.